IGH on a throne of royal ftate, which far Outshone the wealth of ORMUS, and of IND; Or where the gorgeous eaft, with richeft hand, Showrs on her kings BARBARTC pearl, and gold, SATAN exalted fat, by merit rais'd
To that bad eminence and from defpair Thus high uplifted beyond hope, afpires Beyond thus high; infatiate to purfue
Vain war with heaven; and, by fuccefs untaught, His proud imaginations thus difplay'd.
Pow'Rs and Dominions, Deities of heav'n ! (For fince no Deep within her gulph can hold Immortal vigour, though opprefs'd and fall'n, I give not heav'n for loft: from this defcent
Cœleftial virtues rifing, will appear More glorious and more dread than from no fall, And truft themfelves to fear no fecond fate.) Me though juft right, and the fix'd laws of heav'n Did first create your Leader; next, free choice; With what befides, in council or in fight, Hath been atchiev'd of merit: yet this lofs Thus far at least recover'd, hath much more Eftablish'd in a fafe unenvied throne, Yielded with full confent. The happier state In heav'n, which follows dignity, might draw Envy from each inferior: but who here Will envy whom the highest place expofes Foremost to stand against the Thund'rer's aim, Your bulwark; and condemns to greatest share Of endless pain? Where there is then no good For which to ftrive, no ftrife can grow up there From faction: for none fure will claim in hell Precedence; none, whofe portion is fo finall Of prefent pain, that with ambitious mind Will covet more! With this advantage then To union, and firm faith, and firm accord, More than can be in heav'n, we now return To claim our just inheritance of old, Surer to profper than profperity
Could have affur'd us: and by what best way, Whether of open war, or covert guile,
We now debate: who can advife may speak.
HE ceas'd; and next him MoLoc, fceptred king, Stood up, the strongest and the fierceft fpirit
That fought in heav'n, now fiercer by despair: 45 His truft was with th' Eternal to be deem'd Equal in strength; and rather than be less, Car'd not to be at all; with that care lost
Went all his fear of GOD, or hell, or worfe He reck'd not; and these words hereafter spake :
My fentence is for open war of wiles, More inexpert, I boaft not them let those Contrive who need; or when they need, not now :/ For while they fit contriving, fhall the reft, Millions that ftand in arms, and longing wait The fignal to afcend, fit ling'ring here Heav'n's fugitives, and for their dwelling-place Accept this dark opprobrious den of shame, The prifon of his tyranny, who reigns. By our delay? No! let us rather chufe, Arm'd with hell flames and fury, all at once O'er heav'n's high tow'rs to force refiftless way, Turning our tortures into horrid arms Against the torturer: when to meet the noise Of his Almighty engine he fhall hear Infernal thunder; and for lightning, fee Black fire, and horror, fhot with equal rage. Among his angels: and his throne itself
Mix'd with TARTAREAN fulphur, and strange fire, His own invented torments.
-But perhaps The way seems difficult, and fteep, to scale With upright wing against a higher foe. Let fuch bethink them (if the fleepy drench Of that forgetful lake benumb not ftill) That in our proper motion we afcend Up to our native feat: defcent and fall To us is adverfe. Who but felt of late, When the fierce foe hung on our broken rere Infulting, and purfu'd us thro' the Deep, With what compulfion, and laborious flight, We funk thus low? Th' afcent is eafie then ; 'Th' event is fear'd; fhould we again provoke D 2
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